My commitment is to transform our current cultural conversation about cancer from one of fear and dread to one that empowers those of us who have cancer, as well as our friends & loved ones.

I had cancer. Cancer didn't have me.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Pre-Surgery Meeting

Thursday's meeting with Dr. Cagir went well. He answered our questions and surprised me with one answer. Apparently the surgery will require him to give me an incision from a couple inches above my navel to plenty of inches below it, not to mention the one I'll essentially be sitting on following the surgery. I was hoping the surgery was going to be one of those with a few small holes here and there. NOPE. It will be a nice big slice down the belly and since the surgery I'm having tends to need to be drained [doesn't THAT sound pleasant?], the doctor will staple me closed. This will provide the medical staff with easier access should there be a need for drainage and it will provide me some nice descending symmetrical dots along the incision line.

But I'm just having fun with it. I was surprised it's going to be such a large scar, but as far as the rest...what ever. It is what it is. Maybe I'll ask the doc the make the incision a big ugly zig-zag so I claim I was bitten by a shark. That's far cooler then saying I had surgery. I'll let you know what he says...

So, I gave Dr. Cagir the go ahead. And even better, he & his staff fulfilled my wish to be his first patient of the day. So it's 6:30 AM check-in and by 11 AM, I should be moderately sedated and in recovery. That's assuming all goes well and we'll know the answer to that when it's all said and done. I imagine Daniela will post something on here once she gets home.

In the mean time, I'm going to enjoy myself as much as I can between now and Wednesday. I wonder if they have a pool at the hospital...

"Old Iron Sides"

Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”